Fatigue is mostly mental…really.

In the past few weeks I have read several articles related to how fatigue in the endurance athlete is more a creation of the mind and less a reality of the body being broken down and spent up. A recent book called “RUN: The Mind-Body Method of Running by Feel” goes in depth about how our minds will tell us that we are spent well before we really are. I hope to get it soon, hopefully the Nook version is coming.

I also came across an article in the New York Times that is a few years old but it discusses this current topic. The subject of the article is Jure Robic who is a world renowned endurance cyclist. The guy will try just about any cycling race on the face of the earth, if it is long enough. The article talks about several studies performed regarding the mind and endurance including tests where the bodys lactate output was measure in relation to the athletes perceived fatigue. It really is a great and interesting read. Sadly what brought me to the article was the death of Jure Robic last week as he was killed as he was hit by a car while on a bike ride. To read the article click here.

I could have used more of this information yesterday as I went for an easy 6 miles. I headed out around 7:30 AM and it was already 88 degrees (Isn’t October next week?). Long story short, my body didn’t really want to keep moving either due to the heat or its not liking the increased training load I have put on it in the last few weeks. I ended up finishing about 30 seconds per mile slower than I wanted to, but I am okay with that as I plan to keep moving onward and outward. Next time I can hopefully turn off my brain and let my body do the work.

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About runfaraz

I am a guy who loves to run marathons, and has been gifted with exceptionally slow genes which makes for mid pack finishes in races. If I don't run I become an unbalanced manic fool, so yes...running is my prozac.
I believe that the key to a happy productive life is balance. Balance in all areas of your life. If one area is out of balance, all others go out of balance.
Come back often as I love to see the hit counter go up!!!
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